Sharon R. Long

Sharon R. Long is the William C. Steere, Jr. - Pfizer Inc. Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry (by courtesy) at Stanford University. She joined the Stanford faculty in 1982 after completing her B.S. at Caltech (1973) and Ph.D. at Yale (1979) in Cell and Developmental Biology.

• Key affiliations: Bio-X Member, Sarafan ChEM-H Faculty Fellow
• Administrative roles: Dean of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences (2001-2007)

Her research focuses on the biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology of plant-bacterial symbiosis, particularly the molecular mechanisms of Sinorhizobium meliloti interactions with Medicago species. Current work includes:

• Genome-wide analysis of symbiosis gene regulation
• Exopolysaccharide production mechanisms
• Transcriptional responses to oxidative stress
• High-throughput screening for bacterial regulators

Her 178 publications (including 162 journal articles and 16 conference proceedings) demonstrate expertise in:

• Bacterial-plant signaling pathways
• Gene expression regulation
• Exopolysaccharide function
• Symbiotic nitrogen fixation
• Signal transduction mechanisms
• Transcription factor analysis

Honors include:

• MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1992-1997)
• Member, National Academy of Sciences (1993-)
• Lifetime Research Award, International Society for Plant-Microbe Interactions (2017)
• Multiple fellowships (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society, etc.)

She has served on:

• President's Committee for the National Medal of Science (2011-2016)
• Trustee, California Academy of Sciences (2009-2017)
• Director, Annual Reviews, Incorporated (1994-present)

Her lab maintains active collaborations with National Institutes of Health and continues to train the next generation of scientists through various graduate and postdoctoral programs at Stanford.